These charming decorations will evoke that kind of reaction from youngster and oldster alike. Adults unfamiliar with sea urchin shells will be delighted to find that these oddities were living creatures from the sea. I know I was, when I first saw them.
The shells are hollow,
some being very lightweight and fairly fragile. Probably the most
intriguing species of urchin shell is the more robust
"Sputnik", shown in this
photo.
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| Sputnik Sea Urchin Ornament |
This species has reddish or violet coloring in the vertical stripes between the "spikes",
which are nodes where there were spines attached to
the live animal. The icicle and cap in this example are made of maple that has
been dyed deep purple to complement the shell's natural color. This shell is 13/4 inches in diameter; the total
length of the ornament is 4 inches. Many shells are larger, some are smaller.
These ornaments are
very light, weighing less than one ounce; so, they would be ideal for
use as Christmas tree decorations, but of course they can be appreciated in a non-holiday setting
too.
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| Another Sputnik |
Here's another Sputnik ornament, with reddish stripes; the wooden parts are of dyed Black Locust.
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| Green Sea Urchin Ornament |
This piece (left) is a Green Sea Urchin, a really attractive shell,
mated to a Cottonwood cap and icicle. This species has hundreds of tiny
bumps on the surface of the shell, giving it an interesting texture. The
color is a fresh forest green.
Another green shell example is this Tiny Green Sputnik, with a hand-turned ebony icicle. The body is 1 inch in diameter; overall length is 33/4 inches.
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| Tiny Green Sputnik |
And finally, while not a
hanging ornament, this 31/2 inch Alphonso Sea Urchin shell mushroom is, well,
ornamental. This is one of several "mantle mushrooms" I've "grown". Its turned wood stalk emerges
from a gnarly hunk of elm burl.
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| Alphonso Sea Urchin Shell Toadstool |
These ornaments are available for purchase at Timberturner.com.
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